U.S. certified poultry meat weighed 4.74 billion pounds in September

The preliminary total live weight of federally inspected poultry was 6.224 billion pounds in September 2026, compared with 6.255 billion pounds a year earlier, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service report released October 23. Ready-to-cook weight of poultry certified as wholesome, chilled and frozen totaled 4.736 billion pounds, down slightly from 4.757 billion pounds in September 2025. The measures cover different stages: one is the live weight of birds, the other is certified product weight after processing.

Species moved in different directions. Young chickens had a total live weight of 5.534 billion pounds in September, down 1% year over year, while mature chickens weighed 76.8 million pounds, up 5%. Turkey live weight reached 593.8 million pounds, a 7% increase; ducks totaled 18.5 million pounds, up 24%. The ‘other’ category includes geese, guineas, ostriches, emus, rheas and squab. The different species trends show why the overall poultry total cannot describe the performance of any one product type.

The number of young chickens slaughtered in September was 829.632 million, 1% lower than the same month in 2025. For January through September, however, young chicken slaughter totaled 7.377 billion birds, 3% more than in the same period a year earlier. The monthly decline did not reverse the year-to-date increase. Turkey slaughter rose 3% to 17.758 million birds, while duck slaughter increased 24% to 2.636 million. The NASS counts cover federally inspected slaughter; they do not measure every bird on farms or consumer purchases.

Average live weight per bird also differed by species. Young chickens averaged 6.67 pounds, 0.06 pound below September 2025’s 6.73 pounds. Mature chickens averaged 7.41 pounds, above 7.13 pounds a year earlier. Turkeys averaged 33.44 pounds, compared with 32.24 pounds. These are live weights when the birds entered federally inspected slaughter. They should not be confused with packaged product weights, which reflect a later stage and a different measure of ready-to-cook output.

Ready-to-cook weight is not the same as live weight. NASS’s certified product table reports chilled and frozen poultry in a ready-to-cook measure for product that passed USDA inspection. September’s young-chicken total was 4.195 billion pounds, down 1%; turkey was 472.6 million pounds, up 7%. Certified duck weight reached 13.633 million pounds, a 25% gain. The species and state tables allow readers to follow production composition, but these quantities are not retail sales, inventories or exports.

The calendar matters when comparing the September slaughter reports. NASS noted that both September 2025 and September 2026 had 22 weekdays, including one holiday, and four Saturdays. That makes the months comparable in their number of weekdays. The release does not describe plants’ daily schedules or capacity utilization, however. Total live weight edged lower while some species increased, illustrating why bird counts, per-bird weight and product mix need to be considered together.

The report also includes two measures of product condemned or not certified during inspection. Ante-mortem condemnations, before slaughter, totaled 14.536 million pounds, or 0.23% of live weight inspected. The proportion was 0.20% a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations of carcasses and parts totaled 24.604 million pounds, equal to 0.52% of the relevant quantity inspected, compared with 0.58% in 2025. The denominators differ: the ante-mortem rate is based on live weight, while the post-mortem rate applies to carcasses and parts assessed after slaughter.

Condemned weight is not a single summary of all food-safety or animal-health inspection results. USDA presents ante-mortem and post-mortem measures at different stages; the post-mortem table includes federally condemned material and material sorted out and removed by establishments. Its causes table includes categories such as septicemia, airsacculitis, contamination and bruising. The report does not identify these items as the cause of a production decline. A change in condemnation rates alone also does not support a broad conclusion about the overall direction of animal health conditions.

The federal-inspection scope should be kept in mind when comparing the report with other poultry data. NASS’s series description says that the estimates are collected from federally inspected poultry slaughter. It provides bird counts, live weight, average weight and certified product weight for chickens, turkeys, ducks and other types. The difference between certified wholesome weight and live slaughter weight reflects processing and inspection stages. Neither figure should be equated with grocery sales or total farm production.

The main September finding is that total poultry product weight was slightly below a year earlier, while species-level trends diverged: chicken measures declined and turkey and duck weights increased. The number of young chickens slaughtered fell in September but remained higher over the first nine months. The ante-mortem rate rose while the post-mortem rate declined, using different stages and denominators. Later releases should be read across monthly slaughter, live weight, certified product and year-to-date totals; this report offers no price or demand forecast.

The report’s figures are statistical estimates and are sometimes revised. NASS revised the August certified wholesome total to 4.65 billion pounds, 4% above August 2025. Month-to-month planning based on an early reading can therefore change when new data are incorporated. The release does not provide plant-level results or explain why the total shifted. It is an aggregate picture of federally inspected poultry slaughter and inspected product weight, not a complete economic account of producers, processors or retailers.

For poultry producers and processors, the data give a monthly physical-volume snapshot rather than a verdict on market conditions. Young chicken slaughter was below a year earlier for September but ahead for the nine-month period; turkey and duck measures expanded. Certified ready-to-cook weight remained close to last year’s level overall. Feed costs, demand, prices, trade and cold-storage inventories would be needed to understand commercial implications. The report establishes what was inspected and weighed in September, while leaving explanations and market effects to evidence from other sources.